Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-11-12
INTERNAL REVENUE.
c,hbs Replies TO the Newspapers
BE cd Calls for the Pspers-Aow
Can q Democrat
"a. 0.nocracF Because Of AdvO.
FoTt'i' vsn.sl of the Internal Rev
snue Law? he Asks,
Dallas News.

ALAS. TEX NOV. 81 sec GHaS tAe
DA l.4on News, the ST. L9ais Republican
6''s o+ber Democratic papers, in COM
snu .;ng IN my declaration in favor of
n 1sa1is5ing the entire internal revenue
s0U .a-, risim that by this declaration l
sy, Vs. nv Democracy. In the same in
ioLls- -v 7 asserted my belief in 'e
ISl sE for revenue only" but contended
a. .s the two questions should
ia considered separately. l
u ..-- .5ot It is the duty Of any Demo
mn mn ionrael maintaining that opposi-
clrst ~ the abolition Of the internal rev
lly .Lo Svsffm IS undemoCrstic to answer
tso following questions: Was not tRs
tl S al revenue system devised and in
!ipn,1 T1d by the Republican partyf Has
aUS ct been perpetueted by the
5n u party? Has any na-
h.paI democratic convention ever
! uCIT i? Il not, how can it be IN
!,l.-ooc-s+ic to favor It's abolition? Don't
.Sa records Of the courts show that 1t hEe
toon in the hands Of the Republican party
orest engine of oppression to the PEG
Ga If the south? Was there ever devised
srstcm Of taxation which involved
80 esDiouage or would be used more
Us. .-Gty~.n4aaeouslY to vex and harass the
rrfvsfe citiz u? Nearly all your COZ
E-.asernen and senators favor taking IL IF
- tobacco. Would this not leave the
s1gtsrn and tie officials? The annual
-Sysnue Of sec, 100000 from this source
- not needed and constitutes only por.
tion oi the annual surplus income, and
Inv not relieve the people Of these uu-
rerssssrv officials and this undemocratic
svsten now that an opportunity presents
Itself?
THE CRY IN FAVOR
q taking "tbe rSx of Of blankets and
Leaving il on whisky" would stand intel
ugent discussion ,-
The Door Glass Of people are largely
4be consumers CT tobacco and home dis
tilIed LIQUORS. If q family co2iDes its use
oi liouor to medical purposes only, they
will NV more tax to the government IL
one wear on this article than they would
nav on blankets in ten years. Even
when the revenue from the Internal sys-
tenn YVES needed l didn't, as q Demo
crst. believe in it, and can't recall to
mind snV Democratic convention
which Endorsed it. Whatever tax is
raised from liquor and tobacco bad
hest be imposed by state and counties
where the revenue is most needed, and
where the license system Of collection Is
not so oppressive or complicated. It
would probably be better for the citizen
tbst he didn't use either liquor or tObac
CO. but if he does use il, certainly 1t will
be better for him morally, physically snC
politically to get them pure aud cheap,
and, being home productions, thst no Gls'
criminati0ns be msde against them.
II thistax on liquor and tobscco is
right and proper, even then il is better to
abolish the internal revenue system and
let the 6O,O00,000 per annum go into
state end county treasures, where it can
be used to advantage. II q man, TO be E
Democrat, must favor the perpetu&tion
of the internal revenue system IN
whole or in part, the newspapers
holding this opinion certainly
should show some Democratic authority
for If. am cutie sure that, as matters
now stand, nsjOrity of the Democratic
voters of Texas believe thst the internal
revenue system is undemocratic and IN
necessary, and favor its total abolition
If they are read out by the party, it mus
be done by due process OF law with refer
ence
TO THE HISTORY,
traditions and platform Of the party.
In view Of the surplus in the treasury
and the objections to the internal revenue
system in itself, it is safe to say that
vote TO perpetuate it in whole or in par
will not receive the approval OF major
ity Of the Democrats in any district II
Texas. Every distiller OF liquor snc
manufacturer of tobacco favors the inter.
nal revenue, but the producer and con
sumner will be found naturally
Sgsinst it on economic principles
while the masses who are neither produ
GERS nor consumers are opposed to it as 8
piece of useless and oppressive political
machinery, justified only as war meas
ure.
Il there is platform that denies me-
the right as Democrat to hold these
views, please give me reference to 1t
ard perhaps l will recent.
Respectfully, BARNETT GIBBS.